Welcome to LIVE CONVERSATIONS “NEW ZEALAND: Lesson 2!” Any questions or comments? Please write us at: support@realenglishnow.com

Please watch the video below. Remember: Don’t write anything. Just watch and listen. By the end of the lesson you will understand everything!

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Greg: So, as it turns out, yeah, it’s past Australia. Like, very well past Australia. Like, halfway to the South Pole.

Mark: Yeah. It begs the question: Why New Zealand and not Australia?

Greg: It was my stepfather’s final decision. He said he would be interested if we did something a little more off the beaten path like New Zealand.

Mark: So, I would assume this is probably the capital? Or at least one of the bigger cities in New Zealand. Am I right?

Greg: Yes, you are right. This is a picture of the Auckland skyline. I don’t know if it’s the capital though but, it is one of the larger cities in New Zealand.

Mark: How much time did you spend in this city?

Greg: I think we spent about two or three days, and then went to other parts of the country. And then on the way back, we were here for one final day before flying out.

Mark: That tower, did you go up that?

Greg: The tower? No. That is… I think was a casino. And there was a dress code You had to be dressed, like, with a collared shirt and that kind of thing, which we didn’t bring to New Zealand. We didn’t…We weren’t all able to dress up properly so: No, we had to skip that.

Mark: I see. Overall pleasant experience? Did you feel safe in Auckland?

Greg: Yeah, definitely. It was really nice. Weather was good. There is…The University of Auckland is there. And so it kind of had a college-town feel, and lots of tourists and….Of course, we never feel threatened by tourists. And the local people were pretty cool. I remember seeing a few rough characters, but never felt anything. They were just eyeballing at my wife.

Mark: I’m guessing this is a close-up of New Zealand itself?

Greg: Right. This is a map of the country. And I just wanted everyone to see where we landed, and where Auckland was. It would be in the northern part of the country. And then we worked our way, south through Christchurch and Queenstown, and then flew back up to Auckland.

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1.

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It begs the question = An obvious question to ask is
Remember, in these four groups of sentences below, a native speaker will usually use the 2nd version. So, “It begs the question” is the advanced phrase we want to learn.

Your wedding is outside? An obvious question to ask is: What if it rains?
Your wedding is outside? It begs the question: What if it rains?

If your wallet is gone, an obvious question to ask is: Who took it?
If your wallet is gone, that begs the question: Who took it?

If you love this town so much, an obvious question to ask is: Why move?
If you love this town so much, that begs the question: Why move?

An obvious question to ask is: Why New Zealand and not Australia?
It begs the question: Why New Zealand and not Australia?

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2.

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off the beaten path = less popular
Remember, the 2nd version (using “off the beaten path”) is how a native speaker will probably say these sentences.

Everyone goes to Rome or Venice. We went to Florence because it’s somewhat less popular.
Everyone goes to Rome or Venice. We went to Florence because it’s somewhat off the beaten path.

A place like Kiev is less popular.
A place like Kiev is off the beaten path.

You should go to Bryce Canyon. It’s less popular.
You should go to Bryce Canyon. It’s off the beaten path.

New Zealand is a little more less popular.
New Zealand is a little more off the beaten path.

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3.

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dress code = rules about clothes (that you must wear)

You can’t go into that club wearing that T-shirt! They have rules about clothes.
You can’t go into that club wearing that T-shirt! They have a dress code.

Let’s go to Skybar. They don’t have rules about clothes.
Let’s go to Skybar. They don’t have a dress code.

I need to wear a tie to work. They have a new dress code at my office.
I need to wear a tie to work. They have new rules about clothes.

And there were rules about clothes. You had to wear a collared shirt.
And there was a dress code. You had to wear a collared shirt.

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4.

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to skip = to not go to, to not do

“It’s 10 AM. Why are you still home?” — “I’m not going to work today.”
It’s 10 AM. Why are you still home?” — “I’m skipping work today.”

I didn’t go to school today.
I skipped school today.

Did you not go to church today?
Did you skip church today?

We didn’t have the right clothes, so we had to not go to the casino.
We didn’t have the right clothes, so we had to skip the casino.

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5.

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a rough character = a guy who might be dangerous

Stay away from Rocco. He’s a guy who might be dangerous.
Stay away from Rocco. He’s a rough character.

There’s a lot of guys who might be dangerous in that bar. Let’s go somewhere else.
There’s a lot of rough characters in that bar. Let’s go somewhere else.

I thinks he’s a guy who might be dangerous.
I thinks he’s a rough character.

I saw a few guys who might be dangerous, but we never felt threatened.
I saw a few rough characters, but we never felt threatened.

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6.

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to eyeball someone / something = to stare at someone / something

We were all staring at the girl in the yellow bikini.
We were all eyeballing the girl in the yellow bikini.

We were staring at the clock.
We were eyeballing the clock.

We were staring at the last piece of cake.
We were eyeballing the last piece of cake.

They were staring at my wife.
They were eyeballing my wife.

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7.

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to work one’s way = to gradually go

There was a crowd by the gate, but we managed to gradually go inside.
There was a crowd by the gate, but we managed to work our way inside.

We gradually went through the forest.
We worked our way through the forest.

I had to gradually go to the exit.
I had to work my way to the exit.

We gradually went south from Auckland to Queenstown.
We worked our way south from Auckland to Queenstown.

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Easy: Your wedding is outside? An obvious question to ask is: What if it rains?

Advanced: Your wedding is outside? __ ____ ___ _______: What if it rains?

Easy: Everyone goes to Rome or Venice. We went to Florence because it’s somewhat less popular.
Advanced: Everyone goes to Rome or Venice. We went to Florence because it’s somewhat ___ ___ ______ ____ .

Easy: You can’t go into that club wearing that T-shirt! They have rules about clothes
Advanced: You can’t go into that club wearing that T-shirt! They have __ _____ ____ .

Easy: “It’s 10 AM. Why are you still home?” — “I’m not going to work today.”
Advanced: It’s 10 AM. Why are you still home?” — “I’m ______ work today.”

Easy: Stay away from Rocco. He’s a guy who might be dangerous.
Advanced: Stay away from Rocco. He’s __ _____ _______.

Easy: We were all staring at the girl in the yellow bikini.
Advanced: We were all ________ the girl in the yellow bikini.

Easy: There was a crowd by the gate, but we managed to gradually go inside.
Advanced: There was a crowd by the gate, but we managed to ____ ___ ___ ____.